Part 28 (1/2)

'Let her go!' Toby called to Serena. 'I don't think he's here, but we'd better be systematic.'

But Serena had already turned to follow Anna. He stayed where he was, frowning. Then he turned to scan the faces of the crowds once again.

Anna was pus.h.i.+ng her way out of the entrance, staring more and more anxiously around her. She could not rid herself of the image of Ha.s.san lying on the ground, his body contorted by the swift pa.s.sage of the venom; the cobra, if cobra it was, sliding silently towards the lovers as they kissed in the shadow of the cave; the desperation and sorrow of Louisa as she walked away from the body of her love, never to set eyes on him again.

However angry she was with Andy she would not wish that on him. Her anger itself was serving to make her feel guilty. If anything happened to him it would be because he had taken her bottle; if she had not brought it to Egypt, if she had not talked about it, if she had not shown him the diary, let him read the extracts, if she had not in some way led him on he would not be in this position now.

She turned blindly towards the one place she hadn't looked - the smaller temple which Rameses had built for his wife, Nefertari. It was far less crowded than the great Sun Temple itself.

A frieze guarded the door to the temple. A frieze of cobras. Anna stopped and stared. There was a lump in her throat. For a moment she hesitated, trying to steady herself, then she plunged into the darkness beyond the square entrance. As her eyes grew accustomed to the dim lighting inside, the first person she saw was Andy standing studying one of the pillar capitals, at the near end of the p.r.o.naos. She stared at him, unable to believe her eyes, then almost hesitantly she walked up to him and 314.

touched his arm. Serena, some ten paces behind her, stopped and watched. 'Andy?'

He jumped. 'Anna! What are you doing here? You weren't on the bus!'

She shook her head. 'I wasn't feeling well. I came on later with Toby in a taxi.' Suddenly she wasn't sure what to say. She realised that Serena had stepped up beside her and she glanced at her helplessly. 'I need the scent bottle, Andy,' she burst out at last. 'You must give it back to me. Now.'

He inclined his head slightly. 'What scent bottle?'

'Oh please, Andy. Don't play games with me.' She held out her hand.

He shrugged. His face was cold. 'I put it somewhere safe. On the boat. You don't think I brought it with me, do you?'

She was overwhelmed with a feeling of relief. 'Where on the boat did you leave it?' 'I gave it to Omar to put somewhere safe.'

She shook her head. 'Well, it's not in the boat's safe. I looked.'

His eyes narrowed and she saw the angle of his jaw harden. 'Did you indeed? So, you stayed behind to snoop.'

'Andy, I had to.' She couldn't believe she was trying to justify herself to him. 'You had taken two things that belonged to me. Two things you had no right to.' She held his gaze resolutely. 'I found the diary.' She paused.

His expression did not change.

'That was in the safe, in an envelope under your name, but the bottle wasn't there and I want it back.'

'OK. So I didn't leave it in the safe.'

'So, where is it?'

'Somewhere else. In my cabin. It's perfectly all right.'

'It's not in your cabin. I looked there too.'

His face darkened. 'You had no right to do that.'

'You had no right to steal my belongings.' She took a step forward and was surprised that he stepped back defensively. 'It was stealing, Andy.' She pressed home her advantage. 'I asked you if you had my diary and you denied it. It is worth a great deal of money, as you yourself pointed out.

'Hang on a minute!' he interrupted. 'I took it to make sure it was safe. I wasn't going to keep it. You be careful about your 315.

accusations.' A patch of red had appeared above each cheekbone.

'Then you should have told me what you had done with it and not accused Toby.' She could feel her own anger rising to match his.

'Ah, Toby! The hero of the taxi trip across the desert!' He folded his arms. 'Well, I was right about him!'

There was a moment's silence. A group of Italian tourists filed past them and disappeared into the depths of the temple. There was a flood of excited conversation and a howl of laughter as they made their way into the depths of the great hall and stopped, cl.u.s.tered round a far pillar.

'What Toby did is in the past. He paid for it.'

'Oh, he paid for it, did he, Anna? Is that what he told you?' Andy glanced at Serena. 'Well, he doesn't seem to have learnt from his past. As you were not there, on the bus, I sat next to a chap called Donald Denton. He's a retired doctor who used to live near Toby. He remembered the whole story. Toby killed a man who he claimed in court had raped his wife, but in fact the wife and this chap were having an affair and she was about to run away with him! And Toby murdered his wife as well.' His face softened. 'I'm sorry, Anna. I know how disappointed you'll be -'

'It's not true! She committed suicide.'

'Is that what he told you?'

'He told me all about it, yes.'

'And you believed him, of course.' He sighed. 'I don't suppose I can change your mind then.' He pushed his hands into his pockets and stared up at the great cow-head of the G.o.ddess Hathor above their heads. 'You really like him, don't you?' He glanced at Serena. 'And I suppose you do too? I can never understand women!' He grinned. He had relaxed, obviously confident that the diary and bottle were forgotten.

'Why don't you speak to Toby yourself? He's here somewhere.' Anna gestured towards the doorway. 'I'd like to hear what he has to say about your accusations.' 'Oh no! You're not setting us up for another sparring match, sweetheart.' He looked at his watch suddenly. 'Anyway, the coach is leaving before long. I suspect it's time we were heading in that direction.' He strode past her towards the entrance.

Anna looked towards Serena. 'I don't think he has got the bottle with him. After all that, he was safe!'

316.

Serena nodded. 'So, Andy lives to fight another day,' she said succinctly. 'And in more ways than one.'

Anna shrugged. 'I don't believe him. Not about Toby.'

'Good. He's a complete, congenital liar.' Serena tucked her hand through Anna's arm. 'Come on. Come back with us on the bus.'

Anna hesitated. 'We came in a car. Toby told the driver to wait.'

Serena wrinkled her nose. 'How very rich this ex-con must be!'

'I don't think so.' It was Anna's turn to colour. 'He did it for me. He cares, Serena. You saw how much he cares.'

They emerged from the temple and looked round. There was no sign of Andy. Omar was standing some fifty yards away, a cl.u.s.ter of people around him. He saw them emerge into the sunlight and he raised his hand to beckon them over. 'We must go soon, people. The bus is waiting.' He grinned at Anna. 'I saw Andy. He says you found him.'

Anna nodded. 'I did indeed.'

'And there was no cobra?'

She shook her head.

'Jolly good!' Omar smiled even more widely. 'Now please, we collect everyone and go.

Anna was looking round. 'Serena? Where did Toby go?'

'He stayed in the hill when we left to look in Nefertati's temple.' Serena gave a small grimace. 'I'm sure he will find us.'